now and then
/ˌnaʊ ən(d)ˈðɛn/
"now-and-then" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“now and then” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adverb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | now and then |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˌnaʊ ən(d)ˈðɛn/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “now and then” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for now and then is 12 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌnaʊ ən(d)ˈðɛn/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for now and then, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: Compare Dutch nu en dan, West Frisian no en dan. The correct English form is now and then, spelled N-O-W- -A-N-D- -T-H-E-N.
Definition
- 1Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.
Etymology
Compare Dutch nu en dan, West Frisian no en dan.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “now and then”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is N-O-W- -A-N-D- -T-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌnaʊ ən(d)ˈðɛn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.